Goods holding and computing apparatus.



W. KULPER. GOODS HOLDING AND COMPUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-ZE- I913- 1 153 504, Patented Sept. 14, 1915,.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l'.

coumnu PLANOGRAPM 1:0..Wumm1'ou. D. c.

w. KULPER. GOODS HOLDING AND COMPUTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.28 I913. 1,153,504, PatentedSept. 14, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

.COLIJMIIA PLANOGHAPM C0" WASHINGTON, D. C

W. KULPER.

GOODS HOLDING AND COMPUTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-2B. I913.

1,153,504, Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- mum @Vilweooeo W attorney COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu., WASHINGTON, D. c.

- proximity to such roll.

WILLIAM KULPER, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

GOODS HOLDING AND COMPUTING APPARATUS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. is, leis.

Application filed August 28, 1913. Serial No. 787,168.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern 13s itlrnown that I, 'WILLI MKULPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at l Vaterloo, in the'county of Blackhawk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Goods Holding and Computing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for supporting goods in the form of rolls and is especially adapted for use in connection with wire goods although its utility and adaptability for holding and measuring other kinds of goods will be clearly evident.

One of the objects is to provide a holding rack which isrevolubly mounted in a sup porting stand and which is adapted to sup- 'port a plurality of rolls of goods on opposite sides thereof and be revolved'to dispose the desired rolls or roll of goodsin an acces sible position .to be unrolled.

A. further object of the invention is t provide a rack of this character which will be of sufficient capacityto journal cores or spindles of a length in excess of the greatest length of a roll of goods, or approximating the greatest width of the goods, so that some of the spindles can be employed to act as 1? cores for holding a plurality of rolls of goods having a width less than the greatest width. 7

A novel feature of the invention resides in a length measuring and price computing device whereby the length and price of the goods unrolled may be computed.

A further novel feature consists in providing a foldings'upport for the computing device which is adapted to. be connected with the main supporting frame of the apparatus and adjusted in'one position to permit of turning the rack to first position one of the rolls for delivery of the goods therefrom, and then be adjusted in the desired correct operation of thecomputingdevice as a resultof the operation of the delivery means,

Other features of novelty will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of one embodiment of the device of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the holding rack in the position which it would assume while being revolved to bring one ofrits rolls adjacent the computing device. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the device of my invention. Fig. 4 is a side view of the computing device on an enlarged scale.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

In the specific form illustrated, a supporting frame or stand is provided which consists of a base structure 1, preferably mounted upon casters 2, and having latmounted in the supporting frame and is preferably arranged to rotate about avertical axis. A pivot shaft is journaled at its lower end on the base 1, and at its upper end in the connecting member 4. Suitable bearings, one of which is indicated at (5 are provided for supporting the rack upon the shaft 5 and are mounted 'on said rack. The

goods holding rack may consist of lateral or end uprights 6, which aresuitably connected by transverse frame members 7, to which latter bearings may be provided of any desired form, not shown, for engagementwith the pivot shaft 5. The rack is providedwith roll-supporting arms 8 and 9, projecting from opposite sides thereof and near the ends of which spindles or cores 10 and 11 are journaled. The arms 8 and 9 are preferably provided with journal recesses 12 and 13,] which open upwardly so that the spindleslO and 11 can be dropped downwardly into, bearing relation therewith. This'form serves to permit of ready removal of the goods when desired. By

reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the uppermost spindles each carry more one roll of goods of varying widths,

forming rolls of varying lengths, while the lowermost spindle carries a single roll of goods of the greatest width, its disposition being merely shown as an example of the capacity of the apparatus, and'not'as a nec essary or essential arrangement.

The means for unrolling the goods may consist of companion and frictionally acting rollers 14 and 15, the former being the driving roller and the latter being the driven roller, between which the goods are passed when delivered. A crank 16 is shown on the driving roller 14 for manually operating the latter. WVhe'n the goods holding rack is in the position shown in Fig. 1, any one of the rolls of goods on the right-hand side will be accessible to the delivery means so that goods thereof can be unrolled, and by reference to Fig. 3, it will be seenfthat the delivery means is coextensive with the greatest width of goods so that it will "be operable for delivery from the lower roll of goods or from any of the rolls of goods disposed above the lowermost roll.

I will next describe an improved folding and extensible frame structure for supporting the delivery and computing devices, and in th e present construction the same consists of a stand section 17, which is shown connected by means of a hinge 18 .to the sup- .porting stand 1. .The stand section 17 is adapted to be tilted at any desired angle by a tilting section 19, which is hinged to the stand section at 20, in a manner so that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the tilting section 19 will act as a strut, having its upper end abutting the stand section 17 and itslower end abuttin the floor line so that the weight imposed thereon will lock the tilting section 19 from slipping or moving either inwardly or outwardly, the hinge serving to limit outward movement away from the stand. Fig. 1 shows the position of the supporting frame when the delivery rolls are positioned for operation. When it is. desired to revolve the rack to bring the rolls on the other side thereof nearest the delivery means, then the tilting section 19 will be folded or swung'in- Wardly, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to lower the stand section 17 beyond the sweep of the lower corner of the rack. Also in this position of the tilting frame, the entire apparatus is adapted to be moved about on its casters and therefore I provide the tilting section 19 with casters 21 for engagement with the floor. The tilting section 19 is also provided with a stop 22 for engagement .with the stand section so as to provide a rigid structural support for the latter to take the strain off from the hinge 18. The

driven roller 15 is mounted in a hinged roller frame section 23 which is hinged at 2410 'bars 25, which latter are adaptedfor rigid connection with the stand section17.

A; computing device supporting frame 26 is pivotally mounted to the roller frame 23, at 27, so as to dispose the entire weight at one side of the pivot 24and thereby insure firm frictional contact of the driven roller 15 with its driving roller 14; The computing frame is provided with a journal bar, 28,

and the journal bar 28 provides bearings for I the spindles of computing and measuring wheels 29 and 30. The computing wheel is mounted upon a spindle 31 and themeasuring wheel is mounted upona spindle 32. The measuring wheel is driven by'means of a belt 33, from the driven roller 15, and in:

order to maintain the belt 33 taut and prevent tipping ofthe frame 26, a brace 34, is

pivoted at 35 to the bearing member 28 and is provided with a slotted end 36 adapted to be gripped by a nut-37 in order to shift the frame 26. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that the frame 26 can be shifted to tighten or loosen the belt 33.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the measuring wheel 30 is graduated, and as an example, I provide graduations to indicate twenty-four mches' from engagement withone of the pins 38.

011 the face of the computing .wheel 29, I arrange circular rows of figures designating the total length ofgoods delivered and the price thereof in accordancev with the width of such goods. In the outermost roll or circle 41, I designate the number of feet delivered, each radial section indicating, two feet and the numbers ranging-from two feet to fifty feet. In the next innermost circle 42, I designate the pricefor two or more feet of the widest goods tolbe sold and in the successive "inner circles 43, 4-4, 45 46 and 47, are designated the pricesfor the narrower widths of goods. 1

Inselling wire netting for whichthe device of this invention is especially adapted, no {sale would be made of less than two feet, but in selling quantities of'goods, fractions of less than twenty-four inches might be desired, and therefore, the measuring wheel 30 will indicate the number of inches less than a foot, or less than two feet, which has been-sold in addition to the major, portion of the length delivered.

By turning the crank 16 the measuring wheel can be set at the desired position and the computing wheel 29 will always be free to be adjusted to the desired starting position because it is not normally engaged with wheel 30.

In the position of the parts shown, the

index 39 would indicate that six feet of goods had been delivered, and the operator would of course have in mind the width of the delivered goods and therefore he could refer to the several price figures radially alined with the six-feet designation and the 'index 39 in order to determine the amount due for the delivered goods, adding thereto any fraction of length that may be indicated on the measuring wheel 30.-

It will be seen that the measuring and computing device is actuated by the delivery means so that no inaccuracy of computation could result from any slackening of the goods, as would be the case if the computing and measuring device would be operated from the roll spindle. Furthermore, the goods can be severed at the delivery roll so as to provide for an accurate cut-off or severance of the exact amount measured' It will be seen by reference to Fig. 4, that the price indicating designations are in radial alinement with the total measuring designations so that the user can see at a glance, by merely keeping in mind the width of the goods sold, the total length measured and the price to be charged therefor. It will also be noted that the rows of price figures for each width of material are alined with the total length figures so that irrespective of the'length sold, within the limits of the apparatus, the total price may be clearly determined.

When the pin 37 is not in engagement with the computing wheel 29, the latter may be freely adjusted to a starting position and it will also be seen that by merely turning the crank 16, the wheel 30 may also be adjusted with respect to engagement of the goods with the delivery means so as to provide for an accurate starting operation. The journals of the computing wheel 29 will be sufliciently tight in their bearings to pro vide a very considerable drag so as to prevent accidental rotation of the computing wheel from an initially set position or from a final computing rest position.

When the device is in the position shown in Fig. 2, it may be readily shifted to any desired position on the floor space available either for purposes of convenience or display, in accordance with the character of goods being handled.

While I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto, except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 2- 1, In a goods holding and measuring apparatus, a base, a supporting frame structure pivotally supported on a vertical axis on said base to permit the rolls on the opposite sides of the supporting frame structure to be brought into a delivery position, deliverymeans, a swinging support for the delivery means on which said delivery means may be moved to a position in proximity to the rolls from which the goods to be delivered is taken, which swingingsupr raw base

port comprises a section hinged to and a strut section hinged to said first section to rest against the surface on which the base is supported and to be adjustable to vary the height of disposition of the delivery means, and computing and measuring means mounted on said swinging support to de rive operative movement from the action of the delivery means and to be adjusted therewith.

2. In a goods holding and measuring apparatus, a base, a supporting frame structure for the rolls of goods rotatably on said base, delivery means, a support for the delivery means comprising a section hinged to r said base and a strut section lunged to said ture constructed to receive and hold rolls of goods on opposite sides thereof, a mounting for said frame arranged to permit swinging movement thereof upon a vertical axis to bring the one side or the other into the desired delivery relation, delivery means, a i.

support for the delivery means comprising a section hinged to said base and a strut section hinged to said first-named section for movement in opposite directions to support the delivery means in the pro-per relation v with respect to the roll from which the goods is to be delivered, and computing and measuring means carried by said support to derive operative movement from the delivery means as the goods is taken from the roll.

4. In a goods holding and measuring apparatus, a base, a supporting frame structure constructed to receive and hold rolls of goods mounted to be rotatable on said base, delivery means comprising a support hinged to said base, a driving delivery roll mounted on said support, a driven roller, a computing measuring device mounted to throw substantially the total weight of the driven roller on the driving rolle an a st t section hinged to said hinged support of the delivery means for movement in opposite directions to support the delivery means at the proper operative relation With respect to the roll from which the goods is to be delivered. V

5. In a goods holding and measuring apparatus, a base, a supporting frame structure, a mounting for said supporting frame structure so arranged that the frame has turning movement on a vertical pivot, a delivery means carried by said base comprising a section hinged thereto, a driving delivery roller mounted on saidhinged section, a driven roller mounted adjacent said I delivery roller, a computing and measuring device mounted on the hinged section to throw substantially the total Weight of the driven roller on the delivery roller, and a strut section hinged to said first-named section of the delivery means to have movement in opposite directions to permit adjustment of the delivery means at the proper operative relation with respect to theroll from which the goods is to be delivered.

6. In a goods holding and measuring device, a supporting structure for the rolls of goods, a driving roller, a supporting frame for theidrii 'ing roller, a driven roller and a supporting frame for the driven roller pivotally mounted upon the supporting frame of the driving roller, a computing device supporting frame pivotally mounted upon the frame of the driven roller, a computing and measuring device carried by said frame,

a driving connection from the driven roller to the computing and measuring device, and means for shifting the computing frame with respect to the frame of the driven roller for tightening the belt. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WVILLIAM KULPER.

WVitnesses: AUGUST BIDDER, ARCH BAKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. i 

